A raspberry patch that only produces for two or three weeks feels like a missed opportunity. The plants are already in the ground, the canes are already trellised, and then it’s over until next year. The harvest window doesn’t have to be that small, though. You just have to know which types of raspberries to plant for a harvest that lasts for months.

When first growing raspberries, it’s important to learn that varieties are split into two distinct fruiting types that run on different schedules. Getting both in the ground is central to a long-lasting harvest.

Summer-bearing varieties fruit once on second-year canes. They produce a concentrated flush in early to midsummer and then that’s it until next year. Everbearing types fruit twice – once in fall on new canes and again the following summer on those same canes.

I’ll share the best summer and everbearing raspberry varieties to grow together so you can harvest fruit from summer all the way into fall. Get ready for tons of delicious fresh berries, jams, and desserts!

Summer-Bearing Raspberry Varieties

Summer-bearing raspberries fruit on floricanes, or canes that grew the previous year. So year one is mostly about getting established. Year two gives you a dense harvest that all comes in all at once. For an early harvest, try these summer-bearing types of raspberry plants.

‘Boyne’

‘Boyne’ is a cold-hardy Canadian raspberry variety that grows in zones 3 through 7, with vigorous canes and medium-sized berries that are a bit tart. This variety is best for cooking and baking. Turn it into a delicious raspberry jam!

Berries ripen late in June to early July. Give plants full sun and well-drained soil. Keep plants watered well and this variety mostly handles itself. That tart flavor deepens when cooked, which is why it’s been a jam staple for years.

Pick up some Boyne raspberry plants from Scenic Hill Farm on Etsy.

‘Killarney’

‘Killarney’ is cold-tolerant and can be grown in USDA growing zones 3 through 6. It has firm, bright red fruit and a cleaner, sweeter flavor than Boyne – it tastes better straight off the bush. Fruit ripens a week or two after Boyne, which stretches the summer window without much extra effort.

Canes are moderately thorny but upright and easy enough to trellis. It handles humid summers better than a lot of varieties. Killarney has fewer fungal problems, which matters in wetter gardens.

You can get bare root Killarney raspberry plants from Burpee online.

‘Nova’

‘Nova’ is a productive mid-season variety. It produces large, firm berries that don’t fall apart in the freezer and have a sweet yet mildly acidic flavor. This raspberry variety handles heat better than most summer-bearers, so this is a good option for gardeners in USDA growing zone 7 and parts of zone 8.

Canes are sturdy and semi-thornless, so picking is faster and less painful than with most other types of raspberries. A pair of gloves like this from Amazon keeps your hands protected from thorns once the patch is producing.

Shop Nova raspberry plants from Stark Bro's.

‘Cascade Delight’

‘Cascade Delight’ comes out of Washington State University’s breeding program and is built for the Pacific Northwest, but it performs just as well in other areas.

This variety produces large, conical berries with a balanced sweet-tart flavor and firm texture. These raspberries store better than most, which is worth noting if you’re growing more than you can eat fresh.

It has a solid resistance to root rot and better tolerance of heavier soils than most varieties in this category. You can grow this midsummer ripening type of raspberry in zones 5 through 9. It's a good option if drainage has been an issue with other varieties you’ve tried.

Get starter plugs of Cascade Delight from Cane Creek Meadows on Etsy.

Everbearing Raspberry Varieties

Everbearing raspberry varieties produce on first-year canes in fall and again on those same canes the following summer.

They’re more flexible than summer-bearers and easier to manage if you prefer a simpler raspberry pruning approach. Just mow the whole patch to the ground each fall and you will get one big fall crop annually instead of two smaller harvests.

Here are some of the most delicious and easy-to-grow everbearing types of raspberry plants.

‘Heritage’

‘Heritage’ is the benchmark everbearing variety. It has been planted widely enough across zones 3 through 8 that its behavior is pretty well mapped at this point, though they do best in mild climates.

A fall crop of raspberries comes in September and October on new canes. Those same canes carry a summer crop the following year. Berries are medium-sized, firm, nothing flashy.

A raspberry trellis system, like this one from Amazon, keeps the canes upright and the rows workable. It's worth setting up before the plants get established rather than after, since it's much harder to train prickly, sprawling canes.

Buy your Heritage raspberry plants from Fast Growing Trees.

‘Caroline’

‘Caroline’ gets called an improved Heritage fairly often, and it’s not wrong. Berries are larger and the flavor is richer. They are more aromatic, deeper, and hold up after freezing better than most. This type of raspberry is more tolerant of root rot, too, which matters in heavier soils.

Fall crop ripens slightly earlier than Heritage, which extends the harvest window at the other end of the season. Zones 4 through 8, and a good choice if you want everbearing performance with better flavor.

You can find Caroline raspberry bare root plants from Burpee.

‘Joan J’

‘Joan J’ is thornless, which sets it apart from most everbearing varieties, and it produces some of the largest berries in this category – firm, sweet, and showy. It’s also the earliest fall-bearing primocane available, so the crop is underway before Heritage and Caroline have hit their stride.

Canes are vigorous and grow upright in zones 4 through 8. The thornless trait makes maintenance and picking considerably more pleasant, especially for a patch that gets worked frequently through fall.

Get your delicious Joan J raspberry plants online from Burpee.

‘Autumn Britten’

‘Autumn Britten’ is a UK-bred variety with unusually large, sweet berries and a long fall harvest window. The flavor is milder than Heritage or Caroline. It's less acidic and more dessert-forward. Zones 5 through 8.

This variety of raspberry ripens mid-fall and keeps going later into the season than most everbearing types. It's worth pairing with Joan J because Joan J starts early, then Autumn Britten carries the berries through the season, and between the two you get a fall harvest that’s hard to match with a single variety.

You can find Autumn Britten raspberry starts for sale online from Walmart.

Raspberry Planting Essentials

Of course, you're disappointed. You've patiently been waiting to pick raspberries from the canes you planted, but nothing! Your raspberry plants aren't producing. The plants look healthy, but the raspberries won't form. Before you give up, let's find the reason why you have a raspberry plant with no berries. 

Why Raspberries Won't Form

Sometimes it takes a bit of detective work to figure out why there's no fruit on raspberry plants.

But before you don your detective's hat, let's first consider how raspberries grow. The root of the raspberry plant is a perennial which sends up new canes each year. The individual canes act like a biennial, with each cane living for 2 years before dying.

Everbearing raspberry canes produce berries twice in their lifetime -- once in the fall of their first year and again in the summer of their second year. The fall berries are born on the tips of the cane, while the next summer's berries emerge further down the stalk. After bearing fruit in the fall, the spent cane tips die back. This dead material at the very end of the cane can be safely pruned.

Summer-bearing raspberries don't produce fruit their first year. If the tip of the cane is pruned in the fall, there will be no fruit on raspberry plants the following year. It's essential to know which type of raspberry plants you are cultivating and prune accordingly.

To complicate matters, each raspberry plant will have both first and second year canes coming from the same root stock. To make harvesting berries easier and to reduce disease, second year canes should be pruned to the ground after fruiting. Inadvertently pruning first-year canes could also be the reason why your raspberry plants aren't producing.

Alternative Reasons Raspberry Plants Aren’t Producing

Improper pruning is a common reason for having no fruit on raspberry plants, but other issues can also be the problem. Plants which fail to reach full size or produce fruit can be caused by improper growing conditions, pests or disease. 

Raspberries grow best in raised beds full of rich, fertile soil. They require a minimum of 6 hours of direct sunlight per day and 1 inch (2.5 cm) of rain per week. If you're fulfilling these needs and pruning correctly, yet still find the raspberry plants aren't producing, then it's time to look for clues which indicate these common raspberry pests or diseases:

• Anthracnose – fungus (Elsinoe veneta)
• Cane blight (Leptosphaeria coniothyrium)
• Crumble-berry viruses – caused by tomato ringspot virus, raspberry bushy dwarf virus or raspberry leaf curl virus
• Grey Mold – fungus (Botrytis cinerea)
• Raspberry Caneborer – (Oberea perspicillata)
• Raspberry crown borer – (Pennisetia marginata)
• Spider mites 
• Spur blight – fungus (Didymella applanata)

With a little perseverance, you can solve the mystery and understand why your raspberry plants aren't producing.

Since you’ve worked so hard in the garden this summer we want to show off the fruits (and veggies) of your labor! We invite you to join the Gardening Know How Virtual Harvest Show by submitting photos of your harvest!

Differences in raspberry growth habits and harvest times only serve to complicate the decision of what varieties to choose. One such choice is whether to plant erect vs. trailing raspberries.

Erect vs. Trailing Raspberries

Both trailing and erect raspberry varieties have similar requirements. All raspberries love a sunny location with periodic rain or regular watering. Raspberry plants like well-draining acidic soil, and they don't do well in wet areas. The main difference between trailing and erect raspberry plants is whether or not they require a trellis.

Like the name suggests, erect raspberry varieties have a sturdy stem which supports upright growth. A trellis can be used with erect raspberry plants, but it is not necessary. For gardeners new to raspberry cultivation, erect raspberry varieties are the easier option. 

This is because raspberry plants grow differently than other commonly-trellised fruit, like grapes or kiwi. Raspberry plants grow from perennial crowns, but the above-ground canes have a biennial lifespan. After fruiting the second year, the cane dies. Growing raspberries on a trellis requires cutting dead canes off at ground level and training new canes on a yearly basis. 

When trailing raspberry varieties send up new canes, these sprawl on the ground. The stems do not support upright growth. It's common practice to let the first-year canes grow along the ground underneath the trellis where they won't be cut when mowing. 

After trimming away the spent second-year canes in the fall, the first-year brambles of trailing raspberry varieties can be pruned and wrapped around the wires of the trellis. This pattern continues every year and requires more labor than the cultivation of erect raspberry varieties.

When choosing between erect vs. trailing raspberries, labor is only one consideration. Hardiness, disease resistance and flavor may outweigh the extra work needed to grow trailing raspberries. Here's a collection of readily-available trailing and erect raspberry varieties to help you get started in the selection process:

Erect Raspberry Varieties

• Anne – Everbearing golden raspberry with a tropical flavor
• Autumn Bliss – Large-fruiting red raspberry with excellent flavor
• Bristol – Flavorful black raspberry with large, firm fruit
• Heritage – An everbearing variety producing large, dark red raspberries
• Royalty – Purple raspberry with large, flavorful fruit

Trailing Raspberry Varieties

• Cumberland – This century-old cultivar produces flavorful black raspberries
• Dormanred – A heat-resistant red raspberry variety ideal for southern gardens
• Jewel Black – Produces large black raspberries which are disease-resistant and winter-hardy

Raspberries are absolutely delicious, but they are also somewhat miraculous. The miracle of their existence has to do with raspberry plant pollination. How are raspberries pollinated? Well, raspberry pollination requirements seem to be twofold, a raspberry plant and a pollinator, but the process is much more complex than it first appears.

It turns out that pollinating raspberry plants is somewhat of a natural wonder.

How are Raspberries Pollinated?

Raspberry blooms are self-pollinating; however, bees are responsible for 90 to 95 percent of pollination. Honeybees or solitary bees are solely responsible for pollinating raspberry bushes, and they have quite a job of it.

About Raspberry Plant Pollination

To comprehend how raspberries are pollinated and realize the complexity involved in pollinating raspberry bushes, you need to understand the structure of a raspberry flower. Raspberry flowers are not single blooms but rather comprised of 100 to 125 pistils. Each pistil must be pollinated to create a mature seed and resulting drupe.

It takes about 75 to 85 druplets to make a fruit. If all of the druplets are not pollinated, the fruit will be misshapen. This means forming a complete juicy raspberry takes a lot of visits from many bees.

Raspberry Pollination Requirements

So, for perfect pollination to occur, obviously you need a raspberry plant and some bees, but again, this is a simplistic explanation. Raspberry flowers have five petals and a ring of anthers. Each bloom has many ovules each with its own stigma. Once the ovules are fertilized, they are called druplets.

As mentioned, while the flowers are partially self-fertile, they benefit greatly from bee visitations. The amount of pollination the flowers receive directly affects the size and number of fruits on a bush.

The good news for raspberry fans is that the nectar produced by raspberry bushes is very attractive to bees, so usually pollinating raspberry bushes is not an issue. In commercial settings, when a lack of pollination is observed, farmers introduce more hives throughout the crop to facilitate raspberry plant pollination.

If you’re having issues with raspberry pollination in your garden, you can normally add more flowering plants to the garden to entice pollinators.

If you have an area that's difficult to mow, you can eliminate the problem by filling that space with groundcover. Raspberry plants are one option. The low-growing, dense matting attributes of the arctic raspberry plant make it a sensible choice, plus arctic raspberry groundcover produces edible fruit.

What are Arctic Raspberries?

Native to northern areas of Europe, Asia, and North America, the arctic raspberry's natural habitat includes coastlines, along rivers, in swamps, and throughout soggy meadows. Like raspberries and blackberries, arctic raspberries belong to the genus Rubus. Unlike these close cousins, arctic raspberries are thornless and they don't grow tall canes.

The arctic raspberry plant grows as a bramble, reaching a maximum height of 10 inches (25 cm.) with a spread of 12 inches (31 cm.) or more. The dense leaves deter weed growth, making it quite suitable as groundcover. These raspberry plants also provide three seasons of bountiful beauty in the garden.

It begins in the spring when arctic raspberry groundcover produces brilliant blooms of pinkish lavender flowers. These develop into deep red raspberries by midsummer. In the fall, the arctic raspberry plant lights up the garden as the foliage turns a crimson burgundy color.

Also called nagoonberries, arctic raspberry groundcover produces smaller berries than commercial varieties of either raspberries or blackberries. For centuries, these prized berries were foraged in places like Scandinavia and Estonia. The berries can be eaten fresh, used in pastries and pies, or made into jams, juices, and wine. The leaves and flowers can be used in teas.

Tips for Growing Arctic Raspberries

The sun-loving arctic raspberry plant is extremely hardy and can be grown in USDA Hardiness zones 2 through 8. They do well in all types of soil and are naturally pest and disease resistant. The arctic raspberry plants die back in winter and they don't require pruning like most types of cane berries.

Arctic raspberry groundcover typically bears fruit within the first two years of planting. Each arctic raspberry plant can produce as much as 1 pound (.5 kg.) of sweet-tart berries at maturity. Like many types of raspberries, arctic berries don't store well after harvest.

Arctic raspberries require cross-pollination to set fruit. Two varieties, Beta and Sophia, were developed at the Balsgard Fruit Breeding Institute in Sweden and are commercially available. Both produce flavorful fruit with attractive flowers.

There are several species of insect pest that go by the name “cane borer” and feed on cane crops like raspberries and blackberries. Depending upon the variety of cane borer you’re looking at, the problem can be easily manageable to severe. Keep reading to learn more about the different types of cane borer and effective methods of cane borer control.

What is a Cane Borer?

There are several species of insect that are considered cane borers. These include the raspberry cane borer (Oberea perspicillata), the red-necked cane borer (Agrilus ruficollis) and the bronze cane borer (Agrilus rubicola). Both the red-necked and bronze varieties are types of flat-headed borers.

Raspberry Cane Borer Info

Raspberry cane borers are beetles that live their entire life cycle on cane plants. They are laid as eggs just below the tip of the plant. When they hatch into larvae, they burrow down through the cane and overwinter in the plant’s crown. In the spring, they enter the soil and emerge as adult beetles, black and about half an inch (1 cm.) long. Raspberry cane borer damage usually first appears as wilted or blackened tips, followed by canes weakening or even failing. Evidence of raspberry cane borers is very distinctive: two girdled rings about half an inch (1 cm.) apart and six inches (15 cm.) from the tip of the cane. This marks the spot the female borer has pierced the cane and laid her eggs. Manual raspberry cane borer control is relatively easy and effective. Find affected canes and cut them an inch (2.5 cm.) or so below the lower girdle. The larvae spend the first year or so of their lives in this spot, so this method has a very high success rate. Burn any canes you remove in this way.

Flat-Headed Cane Borer Control

Both red-necked cane borers and bronze cane borers are small, about ¼ inch in length (0.5 cm.). They can be told apart by the colors that earn them their names. The distinct symptom of these borers is a swelling or gall in the cane, about 1 to 3 feet (.30 to .91 m.) off the ground, where the larvae burrow through the bark. Eventually, the cane above these galls will die. Managing flat-headed cane borers is best done by cutting and destroying the cane six inches (15 cm.) below the lowest gall in the late winter. This will kill the larvae before they have a chance to emerge in the spring as adults to lay more eggs.

Of course, you can grow raspberries without any support, but a trellised raspberry is a thing of beauty. Growing raspberries on a trellis improve fruit quality, makes harvesting much easier, and reduces the incidence of diseases. Without training, the raspberries tend to grow every which way, making harvest and pruning a chore. Got your attention? Read on to find out how to trellis raspberry plants.

How to Trellis Raspberry Plants

Training raspberries to grow up a support doesn’t have to be complicated. A trellised raspberry plant may be composed of posts and twine. Space the posts around 15 feet (5 m.) apart and then support the canes with the twine. Of course, this should be viewed as a temporary trellis system and because the plants are perennials, it might be better to build something more permanent from the get-go. For the home garden, a two-wire permanent trellis is sufficient. You will need two wooden posts that are 3 to 5 inches (8-13 cm.) across and 6 to 8 feet (2 m.) in length. Set the posts 2 to 3 feet (61-91 cm.) into the soil and space them 15 to 20 feet (5-6 m.) apart. At or near the top of each post, nail or screw a 24 to 30 inch (61-76 cm.) long crosspiece. Space the wires 2 feet (61 cm.) apart and 3 to 4 feet (1 m.) above ground. In the spring after pruning, gently tie the raspberry canes to the support wires using twine or cloth strips. This will allow for better light penetration into the center of the plants, which will promote shoot development and, thus, a larger yield of berries. Growing raspberries on a trellis in this manner makes harvesting so much easier and facilitates pruning since trellising encourages new cane growth in the center rather than just along the outer edges of the hedgerow. Plus, some varieties such as the summer bearing ‘Dorimanred’ really require trellising to support their trailing growth habit.

Many of us grow raspberries for the delicious fruit, but did you know that raspberry plants have many other uses? For instance, the leaves are often used to make herbal raspberry leaf tea. Both the fruit and leaves of red raspberry have several herbal uses that date back centuries. Read on to find out how to harvest raspberry leaf for tea and about other red raspberry herbal uses.

Red Raspberry Herbal Use

Raspberries are suited to USDA zones 2 through 7. They are perennials that grow to their full height in their first year and then fruit during the second. While most of us know raspberries for their use in preserves, baking, and eating fresh, Native American people used the leaves to make tea to treat diarrhea. Raspberry tea has long been used to treat menstrual symptoms and ease childbirth. Aboriginal tribes of Australia used a raspberry decoction to treat morning sickness, menstrual cramping, and the flu. The leaves are rich in potassium, iron, magnesium, and b-vitamins, all good for female reproductive health. While raspberry tea is good for those with menstrual ailments, it is also just plain good. It tastes much like a mild green tea and can be used alone or combined with other herbs. Raspberry leaves and roots have also been used to heal oral sores, treat sore throats, and even burns. If you have raspberry plants in the backyard, I’m sure you’re ready to start harvesting raspberry leaves. The question is "When to pick raspberry leaves for tea?"

When and How to Harvest Raspberry Leaves

There’s no trick to harvesting red raspberry leaves for tea, it just takes a little patience. Harvesting red raspberry leaves for herbal use should be done before the plant blooms in midmorning, once the dew has evaporated and while the leaves’ essential oils and flavor are at their peak. Be sure to wear some protection from the thorns, such as long sleeves and gloves. Leaves can be harvested any time of the year or just towards the end of the season. Choose young, vibrantly green leaves and snip them from the cane. Wash the leaves and pat them dry. Lay them out on a screen and allow them to air dry or put them in a dehydrator. If you have a thermostat on your dehydrator, dry the leaves at 115 to 135 degrees F. (46-57 C.). If not, set the dehydrator to low or medium. The leaves are ready when they are crisp but still green. Store the dried raspberry leaves in glass jars in a cool, dry area out of the sun. When ready to make tea, crush the leaves by hand. Use 1 teaspoon (5 ml.) or so of crushed leaves per 8 ounces (235 ml.) of boiling water. Allow the tea to steep for five minutes and then drink up.

Raspberries grow wild in most places in the U.S., planted here and there by birds or spreading from prolific underground runners. It’s easy to assume that plants, like raspberries, which grow so readily in nature would be easy to grow in the garden. Under this assumption, you buy some raspberry plants and stick them in the ground, but all season they struggle and produce very little fruit. 

Sometimes, problems with raspberry bushes can be caused by the plants around them or what the soil once housed. Other times, problems with raspberries can easily be resolved with beneficial companion plants. Learn about raspberry plant companions in this article.

Companion Planting with Raspberries

Raspberries grow best in well-drained, slightly acidic soil that contains lots of organic material. Before planting raspberries, you may need to amend the soil to add organic material and valuable nutrients. 

One way to do this is to plant and grow a cover crop for one season prior to planting raspberries in that location. Cover crops like this are grown for a season and then tilled in, adding organic material and nutrients as they decompose in the soil. Good cover crops for raspberries are:

• Buckwheat
• Legumes
• Field brome
• Japanese millet
• Spring oats
• Sudan grass
• Annual ryegrass
• Winter rye
• Clover
• Hairy vetch
• Alfalfa
• Canola
• Marigolds

Sometimes, plants that were in the area before can actually cause problems with the growth or health of raspberries. Raspberry bushes should not be planted in an area where potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant or strawberries have grown in the last five years. They also should not be planted near these growing plants because of blights and other fungal diseases, like verticillium wilt, which can spread from these plants to raspberries.

What to Plant with Raspberries

With canes that can grow 8 feet (2.5 m.) long, raspberries can be grown upright on trellises or as espaliers. Growing the canes vertically can help prevent fungal diseases and leave adequate space for beneficial companion plants. When used as companion plants for raspberry bushes, the following plants can help prevent fungal diseases, like cane spot. They can also repel certain insects, rabbits and deer:

• Garlic
• Chives
• Nasturtiums
• Leeks
• Onions
• Chamomile

When companion planting with raspberries, another thing to consider are plants that attract bees. The more bees that visit raspberry bushes, the more raspberries the plant will yield. Raspberry plant companions that attract pollinators, while repelling harmful pests, include:

• Chervil and tansy (repels ants, Japanese beetles, cucumber beetles, squash bugs)
• Yarrow (repels harlequin beetles)
• Artemisia (repels insects, rabbits, and deer)

Turnips are also used as companion plants for raspberry bushes because they repel the harlequin beetle.

Raspberries are a very worthwhile crop to grow. Store bought raspberries are expensive and bred to be able to travel long distances without squishing. If you want fresh, cheap berries, you can’t do better than growing them yourself. 

If you do grow them, of course, you need to know how to take proper care of them. Keep reading to learn more about raspberry fertilizing needs and how to fertilize a raspberry bush.

Raspberry Fertilizing Needs

Raspberry fertilizing needs are very basic and not hard to keep up with. Raspberry plant fertilizer should be heavy in nitrogen, although a balanced type is often preferred. For instance, the best fertilizer for raspberry bushes is a 10-10-10 fertilizer or actual nitrogen at a rate of 4 to 5 pounds (1.8 to 2.3 kg.) per 100 feet (30.4 m.) of row.

If you’re looking for organic raspberry plant fertilizer, you can substitute with manure (50 to 100 pounds (22.7 to 45.4 kg.) per 100 feet (30.4 m.) of row) or a combination of cottonseed meal, langbeinite, and rock phosphate (in a 10-3-10 ratio).

When to Feed Raspberries

Fertilizer for raspberry bushes should be applied soon after planting, once they’ve had some time to establish. Make sure to place it 3 to 4 inches (8 to 10 cm.) away from the stems - direct contact can burn the plants.

After your raspberries are established, fertilize them once per year every spring at a slightly higher rate than the first year.

Always fertilize your raspberry plants in the spring. Fertilizer, particularly when it’s heavy in nitrogen, encourages new growth. This is good in the spring, but can be dangerous in the summer and fall. 

Any new growth that appears too late in the season won’t have time to mature before the cold of winter and will likely be damaged by frost, which causes the plant unnecessary harm. Don’t be tempted to fertilize later in the season, even if the plants seem weak.

It looks like there’s a problem with your raspberry patch. Rust has appeared on the raspberry leaves. What causes rust on raspberries? Raspberries are susceptible to a number of fungal diseases which result in leaf rust on raspberries. Read on to find out about treating rust on raspberries and if there are any rust resistant raspberry cultivars.

What Causes Rust on Raspberries?

Leaf rust on raspberries is a disease that attacks the foliage of raspberries. It may be caused by the fungus Phragmidium rubi-idaei. It appears as yellow pustules on the upper side of leaves in the early summer or in the spring. As the disease progresses, orange pustules appear on the underside of the foliage. Further into the disease, the orange pustules turn black. These black pustules contain overwintering spores. Severe infection results in premature leaf drop. Arthuriomyces peckianus and Gymnoconia nitens are two additional fungi that may cause rust on raspberry leaves. In this case, the fungi appear to only attack black raspberries as well as blackberries and dewberries. Symptoms appear in the early spring as new shoots begin to emerge. New leaves become stunted and deformed and a pale, sickly, green or yellow. Waxy blisters dot the underside of the foliage. The blisters eventually turn a bright, powdery orange lending the disease the name “orange rust.” Infected plants become bushy rather than caning. As with P. rubi-idaei, orange rust overwinters in diseased roots and canes. All three are fostered by cool, wet conditions. The spores mature and break open around June and are spread to other plants by the wind.

Treating Rust on Raspberries

No chemical control is known to be effective in treating rust on raspberries. If the disease becomes evident in only a few leaves, remove them. If the plant appears to be fully disease involved, however, remove the entire plant. The best practice is to plant more rust resistant raspberries. Rust resistant raspberries include ‘Glen Prosen,’ ‘Julia,’ and ‘Malling Admiral.’ Starting the berry plot properly will go a long way in the prevention of fungal diseases. Keep the planting area weeded and the rows cut back to facilitate leaf drying. The disease needs a fairly lengthy period of leaf wetness to germinate and penetrate foliage in the spring. Allow plenty of air circulation amongst the canes; do not crowd the plants. Feed the plants when necessary to ensure vigorous raspberries.

Ruby-red raspberries are one of the jewels of the summer garden. Even gardeners with limited space can enjoy a berry harvest by growing raspberries in containers. Growing raspberries in containers is no more work than planting them in the ground, and containers can be placed anywhere on sunny patios. If you are interested in container gardening with raspberries, read on.

Container Gardening with Raspberries

Growing raspberries in containers is a great option for those with poor garden soil, shady backyards, or very little garden space. The great thing about container gardening with raspberries is that you can place the pots in any sunny corner without worrying about the soil. 

What kinds of raspberries grow well in containers? In theory, any berry bush you can plant in the backyard can grow in a container. However, shorter, more compact plants that stand upright without support are easier to work with. If you want ease, look for raspberry plants at your local garden store marked “ideal for containers.” 

If you don’t care about putting in extra effort, select any cultivar that catches your eye. You can grow both summer-fruiting berry bushes and fall-fruiting varieties in pots. The former ripens in June through August and requires support; the latter ripens between August and October and grows upright.

How to Plant Raspberries in Pots

When you start growing raspberries in containers, you want to select a container at least 24 inches (61 cm.) in diameter. If the container isn’t big enough, the plants are not likely to flourish. 

In addition, their cold hardiness diminishes, and the plants might be killed by cool weather that wouldn’t impact canes planted in bigger pots. Learning how to plant raspberries in pots is not difficult. Fill your pot with a soil-based compost to stabilize the plant. The “John Innes No. 3” mix works well for this. 

Then position six canes around the container, pressing the compost around them. Water them in well. The most important part of raspberry container care is regular irrigation. You need to make sure that the soil/compost mixture doesn’t ever get bone dry. 

Raspberry container care also includes feeding your plants. Dose them with a high potash fertilizer according to the label directions. This will encourage abundant fruit to grow.

Black raspberries are a delicious and nutritious crop that can be trained and pruned to grow even in smaller gardening areas. If you’re new to black raspberry cultivation, you might be wondering, “When do I prune black raspberries back?” Fear not, pruning black raspberry bushes isn’t complicated. Keep reading to find out how to prune black raspberries.

When Do I Prune Black Raspberries?

In the first year of growth, leave the black raspberries alone. Do not prune them. In their second year, it’s time to start cutting back black raspberries. You will likely get a small harvest of berries in the late spring or early summer. After the plants quit fruiting, you will begin pruning the black raspberry bushes. Pruning at this juncture will set the plants up with healthy, productive canes and make for a more bountiful harvest. It will also make harvesting easier; and at this time, you can confine the bushes' size, so they don’t grow rampantly and take up too much space.

How to Prune Black Raspberries

So, the first time you prune will be in the early fall. Wear long pants and sleeves, gloves, and sturdy shoes to avoid getting stabbed by thorns. Using sharp pruning shears, cut the canes so they are at consistent heights of between 28 and 48 inches (61-122 cm.). The ideal height is 36 inches (91 cm.), but if you want the canes taller, leave them longer. This early fall pruning of black raspberries will signal to the plant to produce more side branches. You will be pruning the black raspberry bushes again in the spring, and quite severely. Once you are done cutting back the black raspberry bushes, they won’t look like bushes anymore. For spring pruning, wait until the plants are budding, but not leafing out. If the plant is leafing out, pruning could stunt its growth. The canes that produced berries the year before will be dead, so cut them down to the ground. Cut any other canes that have been damaged by the cold (they will be brown and brittle) down to the ground as well. Now you are going to thin the canes. There shouldn’t be any more than four to six canes per hill. Choose the four or six most vigorous canes and cut the rest out down to the ground. If the plants are still young, chances are they haven’t produced enough canes yet, so skip this step. Next, you need to work on the lateral or side branches where the berries develop. For each side branch, count eight to ten buds away from the cane and then cut the rest off at that point. You’re all done for the moment, but black raspberries should be topped two or three times during the next few months to facilitate lateral (fruiting) branches and to increase the strength of the cane, so it grows more erect. Prune the raspberries to 36 inches (91 cm.) in height at this time; this is called topping. Basically, you are pinching out or cutting off the shoot tips, which will encourage lateral growth and result in higher berry production. After July, the canes become weaker, and you can cease pruning until early fall again. For dormant pruning, remove all dead, damaged, and weak canes. Thin remaining canes to five to ten canes per plant. Lateral branches should be headed back 4 to 7 inches (10-18 cm.) for blacks or 6 to 10 inches (15-25 cm.) for purples. More vigorous plants can support longer lateral branches. All canes should be topped to 36 inches (91 cm.) if they were not topped earlier.

Some raspberry bushes bear fruit at summer’s end. These are called fall-bearing or ever-bearing raspberries, and, to keep that fruit coming, you must prune the canes. Trimming fall-bearing red raspberries isn’t difficult, once you figure out whether you want one crop a year or two. If you want to know how and when to trim fall-bearing raspberry canes, read on. To understand the rules for trimming fall-bearing red raspberries, it’s important to get a clear idea of their growth cycle. The roots and crowns of these plants live for many years, but the stems (called canes) only live for two years. In the first year, the canes are called primocanes. At this point, the canes are green, and you will see them form fruiting buds. The buds are at the tips of the primocanes fruit in autumn, while the lower cane buds do not fruit until early the following summer.

When to Trim Fall-Bearing Raspberry Canes for One Crop

If you want to know when to prune fall-bearing raspberries, the answer depends on whether you want to harvest the summer crop. Many gardeners sacrifice the summer raspberry crop and only harvest the fall crop, which is superior in quality. If you decide to sacrifice the early summer crop, you simply prune all of the canes to the ground at the end of winter. New canes will grow every summer, fruit in fall, then get pruned out in early spring. If you only want the fall crop, learning how to prune a fall-bearing raspberry bush is not difficult. You simply cut each cane as close to the ground as you can. You want the new buds to grow from below the surface of the soil, not from cane stubs.

How to Prune a Fall-Bearing Raspberry Cane for Two Crops

If you want to harvest raspberries from both the fall and early summer crop, fall-bearing raspberry pruning is somewhat more complicated. You have to distinguish between the first-year canes (primocanes) and the second-year canes (floracanes) and prune them differently. First-year primocanes are green and fruit in the fall. The next summer, these canes are starting their second year and are termed floracanes. By this time, they are darker with peeling, gray bark. The floracanes fruit from the lower buds in the summer, and at the same time, new first-year primocanes will be growing in. When winter comes, you must prune these floracanes to the ground, taking care to distinguish them from the green primocanes. You’ll want to thin out the new primocanes at the same time, only leaving the tallest, most vigorous canes.

If you want canes that actually pay off, then learning how to prune raspberries is one of the keys to success. It can be the difference between a wild, scratchy tangle and a bush that throws out big, sweet berries.

A couple smart cuts make the plants stronger and the fruit easier to grab. Skip it and you’ll be fighting thorns for a handful of weak little berries while pests move in. Prune it right and the patch suddenly feels under control, like it’s working for you instead of the other way around.

You’ve got to know your raspberry type and when to cut. Summer-bearing and everbearing raspberries need different approaches, and timing is everything when you're growing raspberries.

Why Prune Raspberries?

Pruning raspberries isn’t just to make them look neat. You’re cutting out the weak and dead canes so the healthy ones can breathe. More light, more air, fewer problems with mold and blight. Less crowding means bigger, tastier berries since the plant’s not feeding useless branches. Plus, it makes harvesting easier, which means no more wrestling thorns.

It also keeps the growth cycle tight. Raspberries will fruit on a two-year schedule. The new canes (primocanes) grow one year, then turn into fruiting canes (floricanes) the next. Pruning keeps this cycle rolling, so your patch doesn’t fizzle out.

When to Prune Raspberries

Late winter to early spring (basically February or March) is prime time for both types, when plants are dormant. Do it before buds swell but after the last frost. This keeps plants happy and sets them up for spring growth.

You can also prune right after harvest. For pruning summer bearing raspberries, that’s July or August. For fall bearing raspberries, it’s November if you’re keeping some canes for a summer crop. Grab sharp, clean tools like Fiskars Steel Bypass Pruning Shears from Amazon to make clean cuts and avoid spreading disease.

Understanding Raspberry Types and How It Affects Pruning

Raspberries grow in two main types. There are summer-bearing and fall-bearing, often called everbearing. Summer-bearing plants put out fruit on their second-year canes in June or July, and those canes die back once they’re done. New primocanes pop up for next year’s crop.

It's easy to tell floricanes from primocanes. Floricanes that have woody, grayish, peeling bark. Primocanes are green and smooth.

Everbearing raspberries develop fruit on first-year canes in late summer or fall. You can also get a smaller summer crop from second-year canes if you don’t cut them all down. Pruning summer bearing raspberries is different from pruning everbearing raspberries, so know your type before you start swinging shears.

Pruning Summer Bearing Raspberries

Pruning summer-bearing raspberries is no big deal, though. After the June or July crop, chop those fruited floricanes right to the ground. Look for woody canes with old fruit stubs. Don’t leave any bits behind. They rot and pull in bugs.

Come early spring, pick out 10-12 strong primocanes per plant. Keep the ones about 1/4 inch (0.6 cm) thick, spaced 6 inches (about 15 cm) apart. Snip off any tips that look beat up from winter. Tie them to a trellis. Something like this Trellis Netting from Amazon works great. This lets light and air in, boosting your berries.

Pruning Fall Bearing Raspberries (Single Crop and Double Crop)

Pruning everbearing raspberries depends on your goal. Do you want one big fall crop? Mow all canes to the ground in late winter. You’ll skip summer berries. But the fall crop, hitting August or September, will be fat and sweet.

For two crops, go easy. After the fall harvest, just cut the top parts of canes that fruited. In spring, keep 4-6 of those second-year canes per plant. Space them 6 inches (15 cm) apart. Trim them to 3-4 feet (0.9–1.2 cm). After the summer crop, pull those floricanes out. This gets you two smaller harvests, great for tight spaces.

After Pruning

Once you’re done trimming raspberry bushes, tidy up fast. Grab all the cut canes and debris. Toss them far from the garden or burn them. This keeps diseases like cane blight away. Add mulch to hold moisture and stop weeds. Scotts Nature Scapes Mulch from Amazon does the job.

Give plants about an inch of water a week, more when new growth starts. Feed raspberries in early spring with a 10-10-10 fertilizer. What to try what I use? Espoma Garden-Tone from Amazon is wonderful. Use about 4-6 pounds (1.81–2.72 kg.) per 100 feet (30.48 m) of row. Spot aphids? Hit them with neem oil. Don’t overwater, as this can lead to root rot.

Mistakes to Avoid

Messing up pruning can wreck your berries. Don’t cut primocanes in fall for summer-bearing raspberries. Those are next year’s fruiters. Leaving stubs after cutting floricanes is bad news. They rot and draw bugs. Skipping thinning’s another mistake. Too many canes block light and shrink berries.

Don’t prune in mid-summer. It stresses plants and cuts fruit. You are going to want to stick to late winter or right after raspberry harvest. I’d also recommend to always use sharp, clean shears, because jagged cuts or dirty tools spread disease. Do it right, and your patch stays strong.

Several diseases attack raspberry plants, including spur blight. It has the most impact on red and purple raspberry brambles. What is spur blight? It is a fungal disease – caused by the fungus Didymella applanata – that attacks the leaves and canes of raspberry plants. Spur blight in brambles can reduce your raspberry harvest. Read on to learn about spur blight symptoms and spur blight control.

Spur Blight in Brambles

What is spur blight likely to do to your raspberries and other brambles? Nothing too nice. Spur blight infects both the leaves and the canes of brambles. Leaves are usually the first part of the plants to show spur blight symptoms. The outer edges turn yellow, then the leaves die. Since lower leaves are usually the first infected, it’s easy to view the damage as normal leaf senescence. However, when leaves senesce, the leaf stem falls off with the leaf. In spur blight, the stem remains on the bush. During severe attacks of spur blight in brambles, higher, younger leaves towards the top of the cane are also killed. The disease spreads from the infected leaves to the canes.

Spur Blight Symptoms on Canes

On the raspberry canes, the first signs of spur blight are dark, indistinct spots, either brown or purple, just below the point where a leaf attaches to the cane. The spots become lesions that grow quickly and can circle the entire cane. They are seen most easily in primocanes – first year canes – since older canes are darker in color. The buds next to the spots do not sprout in the spring. There will be large areas of the cane that have neither leaves nor flowers. Bark may peel away from the cane and, under a magnifying glass, you can see tiny dots on the bark. These are the spore-producing structures of the spur blight fungus.

How to Manage Spur Blight

Since spur blight can severely impact your harvest, you’ll want to take all necessary steps to control the disease. Spur blight control starts with good cultural practices. Wet conditions favor spur blight development. When you are trying to learn how to manage spur blight, think about what you can do to help keep the canes dry. This includes ensuring good drainage and using drip irrigation. Spur blight control is aided by good air circulation through the canes. To achieve this, keep the rows quite narrow and the canes spaced well apart. Controlling weeds is also important. When you are considering how to manage spur blight, remember to prune thoroughly and remove all pruned canes from the area. Producing only the fall crop on first year canes has been shown to be an effective means of spur blight control. You can also mow down the entire patch in fall and burn them.

Raspberries are succulent, delicate berries that grow along canes. In the supermarket, generally only red raspberries are available for purchase but there are also yellow (golden) raspberry varieties. What are golden raspberries? Is there a difference in the care of yellow raspberry plants vs. red raspberry plants? Let’s find out.

What are Golden Raspberries?

Golden raspberry plants bear a mutated version of the common red cultivar, but they have all the same planting, growing, soil, and sun requirements. Golden raspberry plants are primocane bearing, meaning they bear fruit off the first year canes in the late summer. They tend to have a sweeter, milder flavor than their red counterparts and are pale yellow to orange-gold in color. Since they are less common than the red raspberry, they are usually sold as a specialty berry at farmers markets and the like, and command a higher price – a great reason for you to grow your own. So how do you go about growing yellow raspberries?

Growing Yellow Raspberries

There are several yellow raspberry varieties and most are hardy to USDA zones 2-10.

• One of the more common types, Fall Gold, is an extremely hardy variety. The fruit color may vary from very light yellow to a dark orange at maturity. This varietal is an ever-bearing cane, meaning it will produce two crops per year.
• Anne, a late season bearer, should be spaced close together (16-18 inches (40.5-45.5 cm.)), as the cane density is meager.
• Goldie runs in color from gold to apricot and is more susceptible to sunscald than other varieties.
• Kiwigold, Golden Harvest, and Honey Queen are additional yellow raspberry varieties.

Plant golden raspberries in either the late fall or early spring. To grow yellow raspberries, select a sunny site with afternoon shade. Plant the raspberries in soil that is rich, well draining and amended with compost. Space plants 2-3 feet (0.5-1 m.) and 8-10 feet (2.5-3 m.) between rows, depending on the type planted. Dig a shallow hole for the plant. Gently spread the roots out, place them in the hole and then fill in. Tamp the soil in around the base of the bush. Water the raspberry well. Prune the canes to no more than 6 inches (15 cm.) in length.

Care of Yellow Raspberry Plants

Care of yellow raspberry plants is not difficult as long as you keep them watered and fed. Water the plants twice a week during the hot summer months. Always water from the base of the plant to lessen the chance that fruit will stay damp and rot. Decrease the amount of water to one time during the week in the fall. Fertilize the raspberry bushes in early spring using an inorganic fertilizer like 20-20-20. Use 4-6 pounds (2-3 kg.) of fertilizer per 100 feet (30.5 m.) of row. When canes begin to flower, spread fertilizer such as bone meal, feather meal, or fish emulsion at a rate of 3-6 pounds (1-3 kg.) per 100 feet (30.5 m.).

Raspberries can be expensive when bought at the supermarket due to their short shelf life and degree of difficulty when harvesting. Picking wild raspberries is a cost-effective and enjoyable way to get your fill of these luscious berries. How do you know when raspberries are ready to pick though? Keep reading to find out about raspberry picking season and how to harvest raspberries.

Harvesting Fresh Raspberries

Berries have always been good for us, but of late they are getting even more of a pat on the back due to the flavonoids (anthocyanins) that give raspberries their color. Additionally, they are a good source of vitamin C and fiber, and, although sweet, rank low on the glycemic index-- making them an excellent choice for those monitoring their blood sugar levels. All that aside, they are just plain delicious. Raspberries are called brambles and reside in the genus Rubus. They come in red, black, and purple. Okay, there are yellow ones as well, but they are just red raspberries that lack red pigment. Raspberries are suited to USDA zones 3 through 9 but certain cultivars do better in certain areas. Hardy varieties, such as Boyne, Nova, and Nordic, thrive in northern regions while Dorman Red, Bababerry, and Southland are more heat tolerant for those living in southern climates. Sure, raspberries are great when purchased at the grocers either “fresh” or frozen, but there is nothing as succulent as harvesting fresh raspberries fresh from the cane, slightly sun-warmed and dew-kissed at the peak of ripeness. How do you know when the raspberries are ready to pick though?

Raspberry Picking Season

When picking wild raspberries or those from your own garden, they need to be picked when completely ripe. Berries don’t ripen further once harvested. How can you tell if they are fully ripe? Size, color, and ease of removing from the cane are indicators, but the best way to find out if they are ready is by tasting them. Tragic, I know. Red raspberries may vary from light to dark red and purple from red to almost black. Some berries are slightly resistant to picking from the vine and others slip off easily. Once you’ve ascertained that you have enough ripe berries to pick, it’s time to dive in. They don’t get any better just hanging there off the brambles.

How to Harvest Raspberries

Pick berries as early in the morning as possible. If they are still drenched with dew or rain, let them dry prior to picking to lessen the chances of molding. Gently pluck them from the cane and place, don’t drop them, into a container. Use a shallow container so you don’t squash all the berries on the bottom with the weight of the harvest atop. Raspberries don’t ripen all at once but, instead, over a couple of weeks. So, when in doubt of a berry's readiness, leave it on the vine for a day or two to ensure it is fully ripe. When you are done picking for the day, if you haven’t eaten them all while picking that is, put them in the refrigerator. Don’t wash them until just before you are ready to eat them since the moisture makes the berries degrade rapidly. Don’t store the berries for more than a few days. Chances are good that isn’t a viable threat since it’s almost impossible to stay out of fresh berries.

Isn’t it satisfying to harvest your own raspberries? I love the way a perfectly warm, ripe raspberry rolls off its mount into my fingers. The raspberry aroma is tangy, and the taste of a fresh raspberry is delightfully warm, sweet, and tart! Raspberry plants are worth growing. That being said, there are many diseases of raspberry plants, so it is good to educate yourself about how to grow the delectable raspberry. Canes turning brown are a common symptom of many different diseases of raspberry plants.

Understanding Raspberry Plant Problems

One of the first things you need to know is the difference between a primocane and a floricane. A primocane is a leafy stalk formed during its first year on a raspberry plant. It may produce buds but doesn’t typically produce fruit. You want to let the primocanes grow and then overwinter for producing flowers and fruit in the second year. During the second year of this cane’s life, it is called a floricane. Floricanes produce flowers and fruit. They typically die or become non-productive after that. You should cut floricanes down to ground level after you harvest your berries. Leaving floricanes uncut can lead to unnecessary raspberry plant problems.

Reasons for Raspberry Canes Turning Brown

Raspberry cane diseases that result in browning can be caused by bacteria or fungi. Browning raspberry canes can also be a sign of normal growth. In general, a floricane is not as lush and green looking as a primocane. It becomes a bit woodier and browner in its second year. This is not a problem.

Bacterial problems

Bacterial diseases include fire blight and bacterial blight. Both of these diseases cause significant browning raspberry canes – very dark or burnt-looking stems and leaves are a sure sign. These diseases can ruin fruit production and are favored by moist, wet springs or winters. They need a wound opening or pruning cut to infect the plant. It is best to cut out the infected plant material at least 12 inches (31 cm.) below the diseased area. Destroy the plant material. Do not compost it. Copper sprays applied periodically throughout the season can help protect the plant but will not prevent the disease.

Fungal diseases

Some important fungal diseases that lead to raspberry canes turning brown include spur blight, cane blight, and anthracnose. Look at your primocanes in late summer or early fall before they harden up for winter to see if you have signs of these diseases.

• Anthracnose displays round, sunken, white to tan colored pits in the internodes of the cane or stem (the areas between leaves or smaller branches). These pits often have a purple margin. Anthracnose weakens and cracks the bark and often leads to the death of the cane over the winter.
• Spur blight initiates its disease course in the leaves or at the node where the leaf attaches to the cane (stem). In the leaves, you’ll see yellowing and browning. The leaves will die and drop off leaving the leaf petiole. On the branch stem, you’ll see little ½ inch (1 cm.) purple or brown spots around the nodes. These spots might expand around the entire stem. During the next year, these areas will be non-productive and appear leggy.
• Cane blight is caused by wounds in the stem. The wounds form reddish brown streaks and can eventually girdle the entire cane causing cane death.

All three of these fungal diseases of raspberry plants are spread from cane to cane rather than root to cane. They love moist conditions. The diseases may overwinter on the plant and then spread from floricane to primocane. Splashing water spreads transmits the fungi in all three of these diseases. Wind also spreads the fungi of spur blight. The keys to controlling these diseases are:

1. Reduce moisture and humidity in the area
2. Keep your rows narrower than 18 inches (46 cm.)
3. Remove non-productive floricanes every year
4. Don’t prune if you expect rain in the next five days

In severely infected patches, you can mow the whole area down and start over and/or apply an appropriate fungicide. Note that you may be applying poison to an edible crop if you use a fungicide. Check the label carefully. If you are starting from scratch with your raspberry patch, be sure to look for disease-resistant varieties. Make sure your patch gets enough sun and regular water and is amended with compost every year.

A typical day in the garden can be ruined by the appearance of a stray insect that leads you to the discovery of an infestation, or worse, a few discolored, curled leaves and the dawning realization that your raspberry plants have contracted raspberry leaf curl virus. Unfortunately, leaf curl disease is much more than a cosmetic problem -- the curled leaves on raspberries are an early clue that your plants have a deadly disease.

Raspberry Leaf Curl Virus

Raspberry leaves curling is just one sign of raspberry leaf curl virus, an incurable disease vectored by the small raspberry aphid (Aphis rubicola). Leaves will change, sometimes dramatically, during the early stages of infection. Often, they arch stiffly or curl downward and change colors; red raspberries usually develop yellow leaves, while black raspberries turn very dark green, with a greasy appearance. As the disease progresses, the canes may also stiffen and become brittle, and fruits mature small, seedy, and crumbly, making them inedible. A mild infection may go unnoticed for the first season, but a severe case of leaf curl disease visibly reduces yields and decreases the winter tolerance of your plant. You may find your canes die back considerably more than usual while they're dormant. Raspberry leaf curl virus can kill a raspberry stand in two to three years and cannot be cured.

How to Prevent Raspberry Leaf Curl

If there are already curled leaves on raspberries in your garden, and other signs of leaf curl disease are emerging, you need to remove and burn or double bag infected plants as soon as possible. There is no cure or treatment for this disease and by removing infected plants, you may save clean plants nearby. Before replanting your raspberry stand, remove any wild caneberries nearby, as well as neglected brambles. Purchase certified, virus-free nursery stock from a reputable supplier when you're ready to plant again. Make sure that you clean your tools well before removing the new raspberries from their pots, to prevent transmission of the virus from infected plants to your clean stock via shovels and pruners. Sticky cards help you monitor for aphid activity once your raspberries are planted. These pests are easily sprayed from leaves with a garden hose, or you can spray weekly with insecticidal soap to knock down any aphids on the plant, visible or not. Harsher pesticides are sometimes used, but these will destroy the beneficial insects that may be your best defense against aphid activity. If your plants are very valuable or you're raising just a few bushes, you may want to consider installing a screen house around your plantings. Using a screen with a very fine mesh will prevent new aphids from entering the area and keep commercially available aphid predators, like lacewings or ladybugs, close to your crop. If you decide to use beneficial insects, make sure they have an alternative food source and water supply.

Raspberries can be fun to grow in the home garden and with so many luscious berries in easy reach, it's easy to understand why gardeners often grow many varieties at once. Sometimes, though, growing lots of different berries can work against you, especially if you accidentally introduce raspberry mosaic virus into your garden.

Raspberry Mosaic Virus

Raspberry mosaic virus is one of the most common and damaging diseases of raspberries, but it's not caused by a single pathogen. The raspberry mosaic complex includes many viruses, including Rubus yellow net, black raspberry necrosis, raspberry leaf mottle and raspberry leaf spot virus, which is why mosaic symptoms in raspberries can vary significantly. Mosaic virus on raspberry usually causes a loss in vigor, reduced growth and a significant loss of fruit quality, with many fruits becoming crumbly as they mature. Leaf symptoms vary from yellow mottling on developing leaves to puckering with large dark green blisters surrounded by yellow halos or yellow irregular flecks throughout leaves. As weather warms, mosaic symptoms in raspberries may disappear entirely, but this doesn't mean the disease is gone - there is no cure for raspberry mosaic virus.

Preventing Mosaic in Brambles

The raspberry mosaic complex is vectored by very large, green aphids known as raspberry aphids (Amophorophora agathonica). Unfortunately, there's no good way to prevent aphid pests, but careful monitoring will alert you to their presence. If any of the raspberries in your patch carry any virus in the raspberry mosaic complex, raspberry aphids may vector it to uninfected plants. Once these pests are observed, immediately treat them using insecticidal soap or neem oil, spraying weekly until the aphids are gone, to slow the spread of raspberry mosaic virus. A few raspberries appear to be resistant or immune to the effects of the virus, including the purple and black raspberries Black Hawk, Bristol and New Logan. Red raspberries Canby, Reveille and Titan tend to be avoided by aphids, as does the purple-red Royalty. These raspberries can be planted together, but may silently carry the virus into mixed beds with susceptible varieties since they rarely show mosaic symptoms. Planting certified virus-free raspberries and destroying virus-carrying plants is the only control for mosaic virus on raspberry. Sterilize your tools between plants when thinning or pruning the raspberry brambles to prevent spreading hidden pathogens to uninfected plants. Also, resist the temptation to start new plants from your existing brambles, just in case your plants have contracted a virus in the raspberry mosaic complex.

Raspberries are interesting landscaping choices for a casual garden, producing fountains of flowers in the spring, followed by sweet, edible berries. Even raspberries get sick sometimes, but if your canes are carrying the raspberry streak virus, it's not usually a serious problem. Raspberry streak virus is considered a very minor virus in raspberry plantings.

What is Tobacco Streak?

Tobacco streak virus belongs to the genus Illavirus and appears in a wide range of plants, from tomatoes to cotton and even soybeans. It is an incurable disease that causes visual damage to fruits, but doesn't necessarily kill plants, although many gardeners will see reduced production due to the stress this virus causes. Tobacco streak virus goes by many different names, depending on the plant infected.

Tobacco Streak Virus in Berries

Tobacco streak virus is responsible for the symptoms of the disease commonly called raspberry streak. This disease is widespread in raspberry plantings, but mainly affects black raspberry varieties. Purple streaks may appear around the lower portions of infected canes, or unusually dark green leaves form that are hooked or rolled. Leaves on the lower sections of the canes might also be yellowed along the veins or mottled throughout. Tobacco streak damage in raspberry fruits causes them to ripen unevenly, develop unusually small fruits, or have fruits that are overly seedy or blotchy with a dull appearance. While edible, these fruits often lack any real flavor. Since virus distribution can be extremely uneven, some canes may be affected while others are perfectly fine, making diagnosis difficult.

Raspberry Tobacco Streak Virus Transmission

The exact mechanism of transmission of raspberry streak virus is poorly understood, but it is believed to be vectored in pollen. Pollination can spread the virus throughout a raspberry field in five to six years, but there seems to be an environmental component involved in the speed of virus spread. Thrips have been implicated in virus transmission, so frequently checking for these tiny pests is recommended. Controlling raspberry tobacco streak virus is not possible once plants are infected, causing many home gardeners to remove troubled plants and seek out virus-free replacements. Since home garden raspberries tend to be isolated from other members of their species, unlike field-grown raspberries, virus transmission may be stopped completely by replacing infected plants.

Raspberry patches give home gardeners easy access to the tasty fruit these canes produce, making berry-picking a fun experience for the whole family. Like other berries though, raspberry fruits are frequently invaded by worms that can ruin a harvest. These raspberry worms are the larvae of a tiny beetle, known as the raspberry beetle (Byturus unicolor). The raspberry fruitworm beetle reaches up to about 1/5 inch (5 mm.) long, its reddish brown body is covered in tiny, short hairs. Adults feed voraciously on leaves of raspberry canes, favoring the newest canes and leaves, but may spread further when populations are high. Mating takes place on or near raspberry flowers, where eggs are deposited.

Fruitworm Damage on Raspberries

Adult raspberry fruitworm beetles appear from mid-April to mid-May, eating the surface tissues from raspberry leaves or skeletonizing them entirely. They may feed on opening flower buds when they appear, if numbers are large-- even whole bud clusters are sometimes consumed. However, the damage from the adult beetle is usually insignificant to the plant as a whole. Raspberry worms, on the other hand, can cause serious economic damage. When these tiny worms hatch, they find themselves inside or up against individual fruit caps. The larvae burrow into the raspberry receptacles, sometimes causing fruits to dry up or drop prematurely. Infestation ultimately results in the downgrading of commercial harvests when raspberry worms are found among the fruit.

Controlling Raspberry Fruitworms

If you pay close attention to your raspberries throughout the spring, you may be able to catch the tiny raspberry fruitworm beetles shortly after emergence, but before they've begun to lay eggs. Handpicking is possible, even though these pests are small, if you are determined. Dropping them into a bucket of soapy water will kill them quickly. Killing raspberry fruitworms naturally is a goal of most gardeners, who prefer not to add pesticides to home-grown fruits. Spinosad is a microbial pesticide allowed in organic gardens and considered totally harmless to humans, but you must restrict the use of this chemical to evenings since it is dangerous to bees while wet. Spray raspberry canes with active beetle populations as soon as they are noticed or wait until flower buds swell to target raspberry worms specifically. A second application after bloom may be required to kill all the worms. After harvest, raking, or shallowly cultivating the soil around your raspberry canes can break up pupating larvae in the soil. If you keep chickens, this is a great time to let them in the garden to help destroy the tasty beetles.

Raspberry plant propagation is gaining in popularity. After all, who doesn't love the plump, juicy berry soon after strawberry harvest and just before blueberries are ripening? With a careful soil preparation and selection of virus free stock, propagating raspberries will keep you enjoying these edible brambles for years to come.

Raspberry Plant Propagation

Raspberries, whether red, yellow, purple, or black, are susceptible to viruses. Resist the urge to propagate raspberries from an existing patch or your neighbor's garden as these plants may be infected. It is always best to acquire stock from a reputable nursery. Raspberry propagations are available as transplants, suckers, tips, root cuttings, or tissue-cultured plants.

How to Propagate Raspberries

Raspberry propagations from nurseries arrive in culture vessels, in rooting cubes, or as year old dormant plants. The rooting cubes should be planted after danger of frost passes. They tend to be the most insect, fungus, and nematode resistant raspberry propagators. Year old dormant raspberry propagators reach maturity earlier and tolerate drier soil. This type of raspberry plant propagation should be planted within a few days of purchase or “heeled in” by placing a single layer of the plants along a sheltered trench dug in well-drained soil. Cover the roots of the raspberry propagation and tamp down. Let the raspberry plant acclimate for two to three days and then move into full sun within a five to seven day time frame.

Can You Grow a Raspberry Plant from Cuttings?

Yes, raspberry plants can be grown from cuttings. However, as mentioned above, it is preferable to purchase raspberry starts from a reputable nursery to avoid any contamination. Red raspberry plant propagation comes from primocanes, or raspberry suckers, and may be transplanted in the spring when they are 5 to 8 inches (13-20 cm.) tall. The suckers come up from the roots and these root divisions can be cut through with a sharp spade and separated. The red raspberry sucker should have some of the parent plant's roots to foster the most vigorous raspberry propagations. Keep the new raspberry propagation moist. Black or purple raspberries and some blackberry varieties are propagated by “tip layering” wherein the tip of the cane is buried in 2 to 4 inches (5-10 cm.) of soil. The tip then forms its own root system. The following spring, the new raspberry propagation is then separated from the parent, leaving 6 inches (15 cm.) of the old cane attached. This portion is referred to as “the handle” and should be snipped off at soil level to reduce any potential disease from carrying over.

Final Note on Propagating Raspberries

When transplanting any of the above methods of raspberry propagations, be sure to plant in well-draining soil with good air circulation and adequate moisture. Do not start your berry patch in a previously Verticillium wilt prone garden area such as where tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, or peppers have been grown. This fungus stays in the soil for several years and can be devastating to your raspberry propagations. Keep black or purple raspberry propagations 300 feet (91 m.) from their red counterparts to reduce the risk of virus cross over. Follow these tips and you should be making raspberry jam for the next five to eight years.

If you find malformed berries on your canes that have only a couple of drupes and fall apart at a touch, you have crumbly berries. What is crumbly berry? We've all seen the fruits that failed to live up to their promised splendor. A fungal disease usually causes this. Crumbly raspberry fruit may also be the result of poor pollination, sneaky little mites, or even overeager hoeing and trimming. Find out reasons for berries falling apart and how to ensure gorgeous, full berries on your plants.

What is Crumbly Berry?

Raspberries are actually a fruit composed of numerous clustered smaller fruits called drupes and include blackberry plants as well. When your berry has only a portion of the usual number, it is misshapen and devoid of juice and flavor. This is usually because the plant has contracted tomato ring spot or raspberry bushy dwarf viruses. As soon as you try to pick the affected fruits, they break apart. The virus is wind borne and has numerous hosts. Signs of bramble problems may include yellow streaked and stunted older leaves. New leaves rarely show any signs of infection.

Other Reasons for Berries Falling Apart

Another simple cause for crumby berries is mechanical injury. Broken canes and damaged stems cannot feed the forming fruit adequately, resulting in diminished raspberries. Areas with extremes of wind, heat, and cold, or overuse of pesticides can limit the ability of bees and other pollinators to do their job. The flowers do not fully get pollinated and produce partial fruits. One of the hardest to identify causes of crumbly berries is the dry berry mite. Crumbly raspberry fruit is the result of this tiny insect's feeding. The sucking causes some parts of the forming berry to ripen early and become swollen in spots. The other areas fall inward and create a lumpy berry that is smaller than it would otherwise grow. Fruits affected by the mites are not as crumbly as those with the virus, but boast large seeds. Raspberry leaf curl virus is another raspberry problem caused by an insect. Raspberry aphids transmit the disease when they feed on the berries. The overall effect is stunted plants, poor winter hardiness, and small malformed berries.

Crumbly Raspberry Fruit Cures

The wind borne method of spread makes it difficult to prevent the viral spread. Remove excess vegetation from the raspberry bed and ensure that wild brambles are not located near your plants. You can also try moving newer plants to unaffected areas of the garden. This may limit the spread of the disease to the new plants. There are no recommended domestic sprays for control of these viral bramble problems. Your best bet is to choose plants that are virus free, such as Esta and Heritage. Combat aphids and mites with a horticultural soap and blasts of water to rinse off the pests. Provide superior care for healthy plants that are better able to withstand injury and recover from pest infections.

If you've noticed a blackberry or raspberry with white "drupelets," then it likely suffers from White Drupelet Syndrome. What is this disorder, and does it hurt the berries?

White Drupelet Disorder

A drupelet is the individual ‘ball' on the berry fruit that surrounds the seeds. Occasionally, you may find a berry that appears white in color, especially on its drupelets. This condition is known as White Drupelet Syndrome, or disorder. White Drupelet Disorder can be recognized by a tan or white discoloration of the drupelets on either blackberry or raspberry fruits, with raspberries being the most commonly affected. While a blackberry or raspberry with white drupelets may be unsightly, the fruit itself is still usable and relatively safe to eat. However, it is usually deemed to be unacceptable in commercial markets.

What Causes White Spots on Raspberries and Blackberries?

There are a few possible reasons why this happens. The most common reason for blackberries and raspberries with spots is sunscald. Berries that have full exposure to hot afternoon sun are more susceptible to this disorder as hot, dry air allows for more direct UV rays to penetrate the fruits. Higher temperatures, and even wind, can trigger this response as well. When sunscald is associated with White Drupelet Syndrome, the side of the fruit exposed to the sun will be white, whereas the shaded side will remain normal. Pests may also be responsible for the white spots in berries. Damage from stinkbugs or red mites can often lead to white drupelets. However, the discoloration caused from feeding damage will look quite different than that of sunscald or hot temperatures. The drupelets will have a more random patterning of white spots rather than a large general area.

Preventing Blackberries or Raspberries with White Spots

While most varieties of blackberry and raspberry plants are susceptible to White Drupelet Disorder, it seems to be more prevalent with 'Apache' and 'Kiowa' as well as 'Caroline' red raspberry. To prevent white drupelets, avoid planting in sunny areas that are prone to hot summer winds. It may also help to orient your rows in a north-south facing position to minimize the effects of sunscald. Shading may be helpful as well; however, it is recommended only after pollination has already occurred. While still questionable, using overhead watering twice a day to cool plants during hot weather (for 15 minutes between morning and afternoon) is thought to help alleviate sunscald. The limited watering cools the plants but evaporates quickly. This method is not recommended in evening hours as there must be adequate drying time in order to prevent the onset of disease later.

Growing raspberries is a great way to enjoy your own tasty fruits year after year. However, in order to get the most from your crops, it's important to practice annual pruning raspberry pruning. So how do you prune raspberry bushes and when? Let's find out.

Why You Should Prune Raspberry Plants?

Pruning raspberry bushes improves their overall health and vigor. In addition, when you prune raspberry plants, it helps increase fruit production. Since raspberries grow only foliage the first season (year) and flowers and fruit the next (second year), removing dead canes can make it easier to obtain a maximum yield and berry size.

When to Trim Raspberry Bushes

How and when to prune raspberries depends on the type you are growing.

• Everbearing (sometimes referred to as fall-bearing) produce two crops, summer and fall.
• Summer crops, or summer-bearing, produce fruit on the previous season's (fall) canes, which can be removed after the summer harvest and again in spring after the threat of frost and prior to new growth.
• Fall-bearing types produce on first year's canes and are thus pruned back after the late fall harvest when dormant.

How Do You Prune Raspberry Bushes?

Again, pruning techniques depend on variety. Red raspberries produce suckers at the base of previous season's growth while black (and purple) form on new growth.

The perfect tool to use when pruning is a set of clean, sharp pruners, like the Felco F6 Hand Shears from Amazon. You would also benefit from wearing a pair of long gloves, like these HANDYLANDY Leather Pruning Gloves from Amazon, to protect your arms and hands from the prickly leaves.

Red Raspberry Bush Pruning

Summer-bearing - Remove all weak canes to the ground in early spring. Leave 10 to 12 of the healthiest canes, about ¼ inches (0.5 cm.) in diameter, with 6 inch (15 cm.) spacing. Tip prune any that may have suffered cold damage. Following summer harvest, prune off the old fruiting canes to the ground. 

Fall-bearing - Fall-bearing can be pruned for either one crop or two. For two crops, prune as you would summer-bearing, then again after the fall harvest, pruning to the ground. If only one crop is desired, there's no need to prune in summer. Instead, cut all canes to the ground in spring. There will be no summer crop, only one in fall using this method. 

Note: Yellow varieties are also available and their pruning is the same as for the red types.

Black or Purple Raspberry Bush Pruning

Remove fruiting canes after harvest. Tip prune new shoots in early spring 3 to 4 inches (8-10 cm.) to encourage branching. Top these canes again 3 to 4 inches (8-10 cm.) in summer. 

Then after harvest, remove all dead canes and those smaller than ½ inches (1 cm.) in diameter. 

The following spring, prune out weak canes, leaving only four to five of the healthiest and largest. Cut back the lateral branches of black varieties to 12 inches (31 cm.) and purple types to about 18 inches (46 cm.).

If you want a high-yield and high-reward shrub, learning how to grow raspberries is a truly satisfying venture – and a highly tasty one. They bring a touch of wild, energetic beauty to your edible landscape. With their legendary resilience, obstinate staying power in tricky spots, pronounced vigor, and remarkable versatility, there’s something spirited, enduring and completely unapologetic about these tenacious edibles.

Raspberries don't mind a bit of a scramble, and once they find their feet, they will reward you with lush abundance. These fruiting shrubs fare well in shade yet also flourish with sun. They thrive in a range of climates, from the chilly northern borders to the humid transition zones of the south, and they are remarkably adaptable. They even offer a choice of berrying seasons, with summer and autumn-fruiting types – plus, berries that range in tone from conventional plump and juicy magentas to sweet bright golds and purply blacks.

These perennial fruits offer a level of self-sufficiency few other garden crops can match. Once established, a well-cared-for raspberry patch is a veritable fruit factory, capable of producing pounds of berries a season for over a decade, so these shrubs work hard to earn their place. Furthermore, they offer a fabulous sense of structure. Whether clambering fearlessly up trellises or spilling clusters of jewel-toned berries from well-filled containers, they bring character, grit, and a sense of adventure to any plot. Here’s how you can cultivate your own patch of continuing fruiting treasure.

Quick Raspberry Facts

Planting Raspberries

When growing raspberries, you have a choice as to when you would like to harvest – and that choice affects planting considerations. Summer-fruiting (floricane) raspberry varieties produce fruit on the previous year's wood, giving a massive mid-summer glut. Autumn-fruiting (primocane) berry varieties fruit on the current year’s growth, fruiting from late August until first frost. Where seasons are likely to be shorter (such as in certain northern states), you may prefer to grow autumn-fruiting raspberries, as they avoid certain winter-kill issues that can plague summer canes.

Raspberries are long-lived perennials, with the potential to stay productive for 10-15 years, so it’s worth getting the foundations right. While these beginner-friendly fruits are famously hardy, they contain contradictions. For instance, they need plenty of moisture, but they can’t abide waterlogged soil. So how do raspberries grow with these contradictions, you may ask? Surprisingly easily, as it turns out. Just prepare the ground sensibly so planting conditions are just right, whether you’re planting a long row against a fence or tucking a compact variety into a raised bed.

Soil Needs

Soil quality is key when learning how to grow raspberry plants. Raspberries prefer a slightly acidic to neutral soil, ideally with a pH of 6-6.8. This is in harmony with a lot of garden vegetables, making them a great companion on a diverse edible plot. If your soil is too alkaline, your raspberry plants may suffer from iron deficiency or chlorosis, characterized by yellowing leaves with green veins.

If you aren't sure about your current soil pH, it’s a good idea to test the soil ahead of planting. Use a reliable meter like the Raintrip Soil 4-In-1 SoilMeter from Amazon for a comprehensive snapshot of pH, moisture, light and nutrient levels. If your soil is heavy clay, work in plenty of organic matter like compost or aged manure to improve drainage. If you have sandy soil, that same organic matter will help hold onto the moisture these thirsty canes crave.

Light and Warmth

Although raspberries can manage some shade, they produce their finest and most prolific fruits where there is a generous measure of sunshine each day. When growing raspberry bushes, to ensure the highest sugar content and the most robust canes, choose a site that receives at least 6-8 hours of full sun.

In hotter regions like USDA zones 8-9, some afternoon shade can help prevent sunscald. However, in the cooler north, every bit of sun counts toward ripening late-season autumn crops.In the intense southwest sun, use a 30% shade cloth over canes from July to August. You can buy ColourTree Sun Shade Mesh Tarp with Grommets for Plants from Wayfair. It prevents berries from getting white drupelet disorder (berry sunburn).

Airflow is just as important as light. Raspberries are susceptible to fungal diseases, so avoid planting them in sunken spots where cold air and moisture settle. A gentle breeze through the canes helps keep the foliage dry and bees happy. In the Pacific Northwest, where humidity is high, spacing is key to preventing botrytis (gray mold).

Planting Step by Step

Having established your site and determined rich, well drained soil, you can focus on planting your raspberries. Your raspberry canes will likely be purchased as bare-root plants. These might not look like much, but get them off to the best start and they won’t let you down. Allow plenty of space for well ventilated canes that can fill out and fruit up. Here’s the best way to plant your canes:

1. Before planting, soak bare-root canes in a bucket of water for 2-3 hours (but no longer) to rehydrate them.
2. Dig a trench about a foot (30cm) deep and wide. If planting multiple rows, space them 6-8 feet (1.8-2.4m) apart to allow for easy picking.
3. Place red raspberry canes 2 feet (60cm) apart. Black and purple raspberries, which grow in clumps, need 3 feet (90cm) of space.
4. Plant canes so the soil line is an inch (2.5cm) higher than the previous nursery mark. Spread roots laterally rather than straight down.
5. Once planted, cut red raspberry canes down to 9-12 inches (22-30cm) tall. This encourages the plant to focus on root development rather than trying to support top-heavy growth in its first year.
6. Water deeply and apply a 3-inch (8cm) mulch (either a layer of straw or pine bark mulch) to keep roots cool.

In the rainy Pacific northwest, plant in a raised bed or mound your soil 6 inches (15 cm) high before planting to keep the crown above the water line during the winter monsoons. However, in the windy midwest (zones 4-5), it’s a good idea to plant rows north to south. This allows the wind to whistle through the rows rather than slamming into them.

How to Care for Raspberries

Raspberry plant care is mostly about managing their enthusiastic growth. They are low maintenance plants, but they are also creeping perennials, and without a little discipline, they will wander across your lawn. Because they are shallow-rooted, they don't like to compete with grass or weeds, so maintaining a clear, mulched berry zone is key during the growing season.

Watering

Raspberries have a high water demand, especially from the time they bloom until the fruit is harvested. Aim for 1-1.5 inches (2.5-4cm) of water per week. In a midwest summer or a dry California spell, this might require daily soaking. Overwatering can lead to root rot (phytophthora), so always check that the top inch of soil is dry before reaching for the hose.

Drip irrigation or soaker hoses are vital. Getting water directly to the base of the plant avoids wetting the leaves, which is the fastest way to invite fungal trouble. The Rain Bird Drip Irrigation Watering Kit from Lowe's is an excellent investment for a permanent berry patch, ensuring consistent moisture without the waste.

Fertilizing

Don't overfeed your raspberries in the first few weeks after planting. In terms of deciding when to feed, let them find their footing. Once established, they are hungry plants. Apply a balanced organic fertilizer in early spring as new growth emerges. A second feeding in late June is often helpful for autumn-fruiting varieties that have a long season ahead of them.

Use a high-quality organic option like Espoma Organic Berry-Tone for Berries from Amazon. It’s formulated with probiotics that help the roots absorb nutrients efficiently. Avoid high nitrogen fertilizers late in the season (after August), as this can stimulate soft, green growth that will be easily killed by winter freezes.

Mulching

Mulching is non-negotiable for raspberry health. Because the plant’s roots are shallow, they are the first to feel the stress of a heatwave. A thick layer of organic mulch suppresses weeds, retains moisture, and feeds the soil as it breaks down. Good times to add mulch are in early spring or late fall.

For raspberries, use clean straw, pine bark, or shredded leaves. Avoid using fresh grass clippings, which can mat down and prevent water from reaching the soil, or hot manures that can burn the tender stems. Go for an organic mulch such as Back to the Roots Premium Organic Compost, available from Amazon, as a base layer. Top this with straw, and this should provide nutrients and insulation. Keep the mulch a few inches away from the canes to prevent moisture-induced rot at the base.

Transplanting

If you find your raspberries have wandered too far, or you need to move the patch, the best time for transplanting is late winter or very early spring while they are dormant. Dig up the suckers (the young plants that pop up away from the parent) with as much of the root system as possible.

Raspberries are incredibly resilient to being moved. Just ensure the new site is prepped with the same high-quality soil and drainage. Water plants well. It’s a good idea to cut the canes back to 6 inches (15 cm) to reduce transplant stress.

Supporting Canes

Because raspberries are scramblers, a good plant support system is important. Without it, heavy, fruit-laden canes will arch over. If they lean into damp soil, the fruit will rot and become a feast for slugs. Most raspberries (except dwarf varieties) are prone to flopping as fruits appear. A simple garden trellis with galvanized wire at 2 feet (60cm) and 4 feet (1.2m) high (horizontally) will keep things tidy.

A simple T-post or cross-arm trellis style works well for raspberries. You can construct supports by sinking two 4x4 posts at either end of your row. Attach a horizontal cross-arm about 2-3 feet (60-90cm) wide at the 3-foot (90cm) and 5-foot (1.5m) marks. Run heavy-gauge galvanized wire, like Ook Galvanized Wire from Amazon, between these arms to create a corridor through which canes can grow.

Summer canes benefit from being tied loosely to the wires. Use soft garden twine like Vivifying Jute from Amazon to keep them organized. Autumn canes usually just need the wire corridor to lean against. In windy regions, a V-trellis (where posts are angled outward) might help to open up the center of the plant for better airflow, reducing the risk of cane blights.

Pruning Your Raspberries

Pruning is one of the key elements to fostering a massive harvest, although summer-fruiting (floricanes) and autumn-fruiting (primocanes) do require different strategies. In either case, for precision pruning, make sure you use quality pruners. Sharp cuts heal faster. Our big team favorite pruning tools are Fiskars’ Bypass Pruning Shears, available from Amazon, for clean snips through woody canes. Then prune according to raspberry type.

For summer varieties, the goal is selective removal. Summer-fruiting berries fruit on two-year-old wood. After you finish harvesting in July, the canes that gave you fruit will turn brown and die. Prune these spent raspberry canes at the base. Do not leave stumps, as these become hotels for cane borers and fungal spores. However, be sure to leave the fresh green canes (this year's growth) to provide next year’s fruit. You can thin these out so you have 4-6 strong canes per foot.

With autumn varieties, the process is easier. These types fruit on the tips of the current year’s growth. So in late winter, before the ground thaws, cut every cane down to 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm) above the soil level. If you are in a warmer region like zone 8-9, you can try double-cropping. If you just prune the top half of the cane that fruited in the fall, the bottom half will produce a small crop the following summer. New canes will also emerge in spring and provide fruit late August.

Whenever you need to prune, don’t hedge the tops of your canes during the growing season unless they have reached the top of your trellis, usually 5-6 feet (1.5-1.8 m). Snipping the growing tips prematurely forces the plant to send out weak lateral branches, which can lead to smaller berries and a tangled mess that's impossible to harvest without getting scratched. Always use a 45-degree angle cut when trimming laterals to ensure water sheds off the wound rather than sitting on it and causing rot.

Great Raspberry Varieties

Choosing a good variety for your USDA zone is key to harvesting a hearty bucket of berries. With varieties tailored for specific regions and growing possibilities, you are truly spoiled for choice. Whether looking to plant in the ground, fill a raised bed or grow a large patio container, here are some key varieties to try.

• 'Heritage' (Autumn-fruiting): This is a popular autumn-fruiting raspberry. It’s hardy, productive, and stays upright without heavy trellising. Great for USDA zones 4–8. You can buy 'Heritage' Raspberry Plants from Burpee.
• 'Latham' (Summer-fruiting): An old-school favorite for northern gardeners (zones 3–8), this is incredibly cold-hardy and produces firm, deep red berries. Get Hand Picked Nursery 'Latham' Raspberry from Amazon as bare roots.
• 'Anne' (Autumn-fruiting): If you want something different, 'Anne' is a golden raspberry with a sweet, almost honey-like flavor. It’s a showstopper in zones 4–9. Buy Japanese Maples and Evergreens ‘Anne’ Raspberry Plants from Amazon.
• 'Bristol' (Black Raspberry): Native to North America, black raspberries have a distinct flavor. 'Bristol' is highly productive and hardy in zones 5–8. Buy 'Bristol' Black Raspberries from Burpee.
• 'Bushel and Berry Raspberry Shortcake' (Dwarf): Perfect for containers, this thornless bush grows 2–3 feet (60-90cm) tall and needs no trellis. Buy ‘Raspberry Shortcake’ at Nature Hills.

If you’re in Georgia or North Carolina, ‘Dorman Red' is one of the few varieties that can handle the heat and low chill hours. Mulch with pine straw and let the soil breathe during swamp season. In New England, however, stick to autumn (primocane) types. Mowing them to the ground in late winter means you never have to worry about winter-kill on old wood. The plant starts fresh and safe every spring.

Propagating Raspberries

One of the main ways to propagate raspberries is via suckers, new plants that pop up from the roots of the parent, often several feet from the original row of plants. In early spring, look for green shoots and use a sharp spade to sever the root connecting the sucker to the parent, then move this to a new spot. This method of propagation is virtually foolproof, and is good for red and yellow berry varieties.

You can also use tip layering for black and purple raspberries. In late summer, bend the tip of a long cane down to the ground. Bury it under 2 inches (5cm) of soil. Pin this into position using a U-shaped garden stake, such as the Arlmont & Co Tessa Garden Staples by Wayfair. By next spring, it will have its own root system. Snip it from the mother plant, and you have a free new bush. You’lll rarely need to buy more than a few starter canes, because raspberries are masters of self-propagation.

If you want to try root cuttings, dig up a 2-inch (5cm) piece of healthy pencil-thick root in early winter. Dip it in a rooting hormone like Garden Safe TakeRoot Rooting Hormone from Amazon. Then bury it 2 inches (5cm) deep in potting soil, and keep it in a cool, bright spot. It's more work than moving a sucker, but a great way to generate 20-30 plants from one mother plant.

Propagating from seed is generally not straightforward, and best avoided. Raspberry seeds have a complex dormancy and can take years to germinate. Furthermore, since raspberries are often hybrids, the seeds won't produce a plant like the parent. It’s a fun experiment for kids, maybe, but a waste of time for dedicated fruit growers.

Growing Raspberries in Containers

If you’re working with a smaller footprint, or your soil is alkaline or heavy clay (and you don’t have time to amend the soil), then container gardening is absolutely an option. The secret to a potted berry bounty is container depth and good drainage. Use a pot at least 15–20 inches (36-50 cm) deep to accommodate the root system; a capacity of 10-15 gallons is ideal.

Fill your container with a high-quality potting mix, a couple of handfuls of perlite for drainage, and a handful of organic bone meal. Because pots dry out faster, you may need to water potted raspberries every day during summer. For small numbers of canes, a self-watering planter like the Permasteel Self-Watering Rolling Planter from Amazon can be a game-changer for berry success. Feed container raspberries with a liquid organic fertilizer every couple of weeks during the growing season.

Interestingly, container color can be significant for small fruit-bearing shrubs, depending on where you live. In the height of a Georgia or Florida summer, the heat might cook a black plastic pot and damage roots. In these areas, opt for light-colored ceramic or wood containers to deflect heat, and water until it runs out the bottom of the pot, every single morning.

When growing raspberries in containers, Bushel and Berry ‘Raspberry Shortcake' is the undisputed king of the patio and will thrive on a sunny balcony. It’s thornless and stays in a neat mound. You can find ‘Raspberry Shortcake’ at Nature Hills. Another great thornless option for containers is lovely purple 'Glencoe' from Amazon.

Overwintering Raspberries

Raspberries are cold-hardy, but winter die-back can happen in extreme cases. For in-ground plants, a fresh 4-inch (10 cm) layer of mulch in late fall is usually enough. For container-grown plants in zones 5 and below, roots are more exposed. Wrap overwintering container plants in burlap or bubblewrap, or move them into an unheated garage once leaves drop. This will protect them from the freeze-thaw cycle that can crack ceramic pots and damage roots. You can buy Burlap Fabric Roll from Wayfair.

The overwintering needs of canes depend on their fruiting cycle and your USDA zone. Summer varieties are most vulnerable. Because they need one-year-old wood to survive the winter to fruit next year, gardeners in zones 3-5 should mulch high. Apply an extra 4-6 inches (10-15cm) of clean straw over the crown of the plant once the ground freezes. Since you’ll typically cut autumn varieties to the ground in late winter, these types are easy to overwinter. A layer of compost or aged manure acts as a blanket for the roots and a slow-release snack for spring.

Common Raspberry Problems

While raspberries are tough, they have a few enemies to watch out for. Birds are a problem nationwide. They love the red berries as much as we do! Try bird scarers to keep them at a safe distance from the fruiting site. You can get Reflective Helix Wind Spinner Bird Scarers from Amazon. While the usual suspects like aphids are everywhere, certain regions face their own specific pests:

• East Coast & Midwest: Japanese beetles are a big issue in these areas. They can strip the leaves of an entire patch in 48 hours. Beyond hand-picking, consider milky spore applications to your lawn in fall to kill larvae. You can also try a swift, repeat application of Bonide Pyrethrin Spray Organic Liquid Concentrate from Amazon.
• Pacific Northwest: Root rot (phytophthora) is common due to heavy winter rains and is exacerbated by poor drainage. Leaves will turn yellow and canes may turn brown and wilt. If your canes wilt suddenly in spring, drainage is your likely culprit. Plant your raspberry plants in raised beds to combat this.
• South: Spotted wing drosophila (SWD) is a tiny vinegar fly that loves the heat, and can be a problem for raspberry plants in the south. These pests lay eggs in ripening fruit, turning them to mush overnight. The best defense is to harvest daily and use fine-mesh netting. Don't leave overripe fruit on the canes – grab it, and eat it!
• Mountain West: Cane borers can be an issue here. Look for wilting tips on your canes. If you see two rings of punctures, snip the cane 6 inches (15cm) below the damage and destroy it immediately to stop the larvae from tunneling to the crown. You can buy Bonide Captain Jack’s Neem Oil Spray from Amazon for an organic response to tackle cane borers (don’t forget repeat applications every 10 days).

Harvesting Raspberries

Patience is important when harvesting raspberries, but as we have seen, it’s also important to pick those fruits in good time to avoid encouraging pests. Just bear in mind that a raspberry does not continue to ripen once it is picked. So wait until the berry is fully colored on the plant, and seems heavy looking. A ripe raspberry will slide off the central cone (the receptacle) with almost no effort. If you have to tug, it’s not ready. Raspberries ripen from the bottom of the cluster upward. Always look under the leaves, as the best berries are often hiding in the shade.

The time from planting to your first harvest takes about one year for autumn varieties and two years for summer varieties. The best time to harvest berries is in the morning when the berries are firm. Word to the wise: don't stack the fruits more than a couple of layers deep in your harvesting dish, or else the bottom ones may get crushed. Also, avoid washing fruits until you are ready to eat, as water can trigger molding.

Fruits are best eaten immediately, but you can store them unwashed in a shallow container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can freeze berries if you place them unwashed in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze for two hours, then transfer to a freezer bag. These are great for smoothies or baking for up to 12 months. You can also preserve berry gluts as jams or vinegars. Store in preserve jars such as Ball Wide Mouth Mason Jars from Amazon. For something larger and more artisanal, try Weck Tulip Jars from Amazon.

Companion Plants for Raspberries

The right plant neighbors can naturally boost your yields. Raspberries appreciate friends that help with pest control and don't hog the sunlight. Some of your raspberry plant’s best friends include garlic and alliums. Their pungent oils repel aphids and are thought to discourage rabbits and deer from nibbling on young canes. Yarrow is also a nice companion, as it attracts ladybugs and hoverflies, which love aphids.

Tansy is another classic companion for raspberries. This powerful herb deters many flying pests, including the raspberry beetle. If you are establishing a new raspberry patch, planting legumes like peas nearby can help to fix nitrogen in the soil, giving your young canes a growth spurt. Believe it or not, planting turnips near raspberries is also a good idea as it can deter harlequin beetles. Nasturtiums are also a lovely addition to the raspberry patch. These ever-ready companions act as a trap crop for aphids and look beautiful trailing at the base of the canes.

However, don’t plant raspberries with members of the nightshade family (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, or peppers). These plants can carry verticillium wilt, a soil-borne fungus that can be a death sentence for raspberries. If you have wild blackberries or wild raspberries growing near your property, try to remove them. Wild plants often carry viruses that can weaken or stunt red varieties. And don’t grow with fennel, which can stunt their growth significantly. Keep fennel in its own container if you can.

Raspberries are a high-energy investment that pays off in spades. With their three seasons of interest, from the architectural canes of winter to the lush summer foliage and the jewel-like fruit of fall, they are a hard-working yet low-maintenance addition to your garden. Give them some sun, a bit of room to run, and the right pruning adjustments, and you’ll be rolling in fragrant berries for years to come.

Raspberry Quiz

Raspberry Care Essentials

• Test your soil with the Raintrip 4-In-1 Soil Meter from Amazon, which can help determine moisture content, soil pH, light levels and nutrient loads before planting – and help you decide on any soil amendments.
• Go for focused irrigation for your raspberry canes with a system that reduces the need for endless trips with a watering can. The Rain Bird Drip Irrigation Watering Kit from Lowe's ensures consistent moisture to the base where it’s needed most.
• Make sure you give your raspberries a balanced feed both at the start and end of spring with Espoma Organic Berry-Tone for Berries from Amazon. It’s formulated with probiotics that help promote stronger root networks and faster growth.
• Keep your canes in the peak of health and full of vigor with regular pruning, using Fiskars Bypass Pruning Shears, available from Amazon, a popular team favorite thanks to their clean, precise action through woodier canes.
• Protect developing canes in early spring with an organic mulch such as Back to the Roots Premium Organic Compost, available from Amazon, then top up with another layer in the fall for vital ground insulation.
• If you need to tackle Japanese beetles, use a swift application of Bonide Pyrethrin Spray Concentrate from Lowe’s – and follow up with a couple of repeat applications to avoid the threat of skeletonized leaves.

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